IPVanish Review

IPVanish a rather popular VPN provider. And every IPVanish review calls it if not the best then at least the safest and fastest one. But have you ever had a feeling that you’re not being told something? That’s the way we felt reading all these positive reviews. There must be something off.

It is incredibly fast – you will be able to download files, play games, and stream media files without restrictions. At the same time, it does not work stable with the most popular platforms like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. For someone, it can be a very big con as streaming is one of the most important reasons why people buy VPN subscription.

The IPVanish VPN supports all the popular platforms and operating systems providing the standalone applications for most of them. If there is no application for a particular device, you can find the detailed instructions on how to configure the connection manually.

The company pays attention to security and privacy. Despite being located in the United States, and, therefore, be under their data jurisdiction, IPVanish maintains a zero logs policy. They just don’t keep anything about you. And this means that they have no information to share with even under the government request.

Like any other VPN, IPVanish claims to be if not the best, then at least the safest and the fastest one. Is that really so? We decided to do our research and check if IPVanish is as great as it is described.

We inspected every aspect of this VPN service, tested every feature, and did our best to find all the possible flaws. Despite some cons, we found out that this service is quite the right solution for most users.

So, we’ve decided to do our own research and check if IPVanish is as great as it is described. We inspected every aspect of this VPN service, tested every feature and did our best to find any flaws. And in the end, we compiled this thorough IPVanish VPN review for you. IPVanish is a well-known provider based in the US. Here comes one of its downsides – the headquarter of this VPN service is located in the country that is a part of Five Eyes alliance. And we all know that it is not the best location in terms of privacy. Who wants to be spied on by the government?

Although, this provider has a no-logs policy. Therefore, we can hope that even if the authorities would want to get their hands on our private data, IPVanish will have nothing to offer. So let’s suppose we have nothing to worry about even though the service is located in the US.

This provider has more than 1,100 servers placed in over 60 different locations. The best thing is that IPVanish owns all this network – every server belongs to the service. As a result, the provider can offer a really fast internet connection and reliable security.

The VPN can be used on 10 devices simultaneously, and it is amazing. Not many providers out there offer such a big number of simultaneous connections. It means that you can share the account with your family and friends. No one will be left behind with the unsecured internet connection.

IPVanish supports all popular platforms: Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS. It means the service can be installed on almost every existing device. Even on Smart TVs and routers. The software is simple to install and setup, so you most likely won’t face any issues here.

In spite of some notable disadvantages (we’ll get back to the US location further in the review to explain why it is not a major concern), IPVanish is still a good choice for users who need to protect many devices with a VPN. It will cost you approximately the same amount as the NordVPN or ExpressVPN software, but you’ll be able to cover all your family devices with one subscription instead of paying for 2 plans.

Is IPVanish good, secure and speed? – IPVanish provides good connection speeds on most locations. Despite the fact that it significantly reduces the speed, it is still quite enough to download files and stream content. The service supports all modern security protocols like IKEv2, OpenVPN, and IPsec – your traffic is always protected.

What is IPVanish, and where is it based? – That is a quite popular VPN service provider. Its headquarters is located in Miami, United States. Despite the American jurisdiction, the guys are doing their best to keep your privacy strong.

How to use IPVanish? – First, you need to get a subscription. There are options for 1 month, 3 months, and 1 year. Second, download an app or configure the connection manually. Third, select the server and establish a connection.

How does IPVanish work? – It encrypts your traffic using an extensive network of 40,000+ IPs on 1,300+ servers in 75+ locations in different parts of the world. You will be able to bypass any restrictions no matter how powerful it is.

IPVanish and Torrenting, Netflix, and other services. – The service provides full torrent support. You can use P2P networks with no limits. Also, you can access most geo-restricted streaming platforms. However, some of the most popular ones are not available – it does not work correctly with BBC iPlayer, CBC Canada, and Netflix.

IPVanish Cost: How Much is IPVanish per Month?

This provider has pretty average prices.

Offered pricing plans:

1 month – $10/mo (save 17%)

3 months – $8.99/mo (save 25%)

1 year – $6.49/mo (save 46%)

IPVanish provides three pricing plans which differ just in the subscription duration. You are able to choose from a 1-month, 24-months, and 1-year plan. The longer the subscription duration, the bigger the discount you get. For example with the regular price of $11.99 per month, you can save 17% and pay just $10. With a 12-months plan, save 67%, and buying the subscription for 3 months – 25% – a quarter.

The company provides the same features for all users. It includes:

refund guarantee within 7 days

access to the whole server infrastructure

no traffic restrictions and speed limitations

256-bit AES encryption

no logs at all

full torrent support

10 simultaneous connections on different devices

premium technical support

As a rule, this VPN service periodically offers some special discounts. Usually, it takes place during the holidays. For example, as of July 15, 2019, you are able to buy any plan with a 50% discount.

The provider allows all popular payment methods, which is quite convenient. But the downside is that IPVanish offers a really short period for the money-back guarantee – only 7 days. Usually, you can expect 14 or even 30 days.

As a rule, this VPN service offers some special prices during holidays. So if you want to get yourself IPVanish but don’t want to pay a full price, you can check special offers as some celebrations come closer. Just visit the site regularly and get success. But overall, this provider has reasonable prices for all the features and reliability it gives to its users. Besides, $6.49-$10 per month Is an average market price, there are both more expensive and cheaper options offered by the competitors.

Also, you are able to follow the link below to get a special discount.

IPVanish Trial Version & Refund

At the moment, the company does not provide a free trial for all their users. It means you will not be able to use this service before paying for it. What if you don’t like how it works?

IPVanish provides a full refund within 7 days after the purchase. The company processes your requests and gives a refund within 3-5 business days. However, the situation is a bit different for iOS users. If you got your subscription via iTunes or using in-app purchase, are not eligible for a refund by IPVanish. You must request the cancellation the same way you purchased the service. Apple itself will process it. The company offers to buy its services via the official website – it is a 100% workable method.

The refund policy is concise but consistent and clear. It states that they All ready to give your money back without any questions within 7 days. They do not limit traffic, amount of transactions, and use cases.

How to refund IPVanish? Go to your account dashboard, open the Subscription tab, and click on “I wish to cancel my subscription” button. You must not contact customer support with the refund request – everything works automatically. You get your money back with seen several days.

IPVanish Discount & Coupons

Time by time, IPVanish shares special coupons and promo codes to attract the brand new users. You can get them on different websites like this one. Just follow the referral link below and get a personal discount.

The IPVanish discount code can be used just when you create a new account. The existing users are not eligible for such promotions. When you sign up, enter the code in the special field. If the price decreases, you are lucky – your coupon code is active.

Pros of IPVanish

Extensive Server Infrastructure and Great Connection Speed

The server infrastructure includes more than 1,300 servers in more than 75 locations which allows using more than 40,000 IP addresses. The server clusters allocated in the most popular countries in different parts of the world. So, no matter where you are using the VPN, you will get the fastest connection.

Although some companies provide greater infrastructure, IPVanish demonstrates above average results – many competitors have much fewer locations.

As we said previously, this provider owns all its servers. Knowing this we started speed tests with a rather good feeling. And the VPN service didn’t disappoint us. It performed really well, and we haven’t experienced any issues with the speed or the connection itself.

We started tests having a baseline of 100 Mbps and location in Europe. For the closest servers, we got more than 96 Mbps speeds for the download. It is pretty much the same speed we’ve started with. For servers that are still in Europe but located further away from us, we had a download speed at 75-96 Mbps. And this speed was stable during the day.

Then we’ve tried some servers that are located quite far away from us. The New York server granted us with 77 Mbps download speed which is pretty impressive – such a remotely located server has managed to provide us with great speed.

Servers inCanada offered us the lowest speed – only 50 Mbps. But considering the distance between Europe and Canada, it is a fantastic result. Overall, we haven’t experienced any issues with the download speed using IPVanish.

Therefore, this VPN service is perfect for torrenting and streaming since it almost doesn’t cut the connection speed. If you value the fast internet, you should try IPVanish for sure.

Full Anonymity and TOR Compatibility

Most people think they are perfectly safe using TOR. But sometimes you might want some more protection. Then you can use a VPN service in addition to TOR. Sure, not every provider is compatible with it, but IPVanish is. You can use this app with TOR by simply launching IPVanish first.

Before connecting go to the Connection tab first and pick OpenVPN UDP as an active protocol. Also, turn the Auto Reconnect, the Kill Switch on and enable both IPv6 and DNS Leak Protection. Then just hit “Connect” and open TOR. It’s just that simple!

Clear Privacy Policy

IPVanish creates a reliable shield between the user and hackers. It will keep any malefactors away since they won’t be able to track you down and, thus, steal your data. In addition, do not forget that this provider actually owns its servers. So it is in charge of everything.

It means that there are no third-parties involved, no one in between the user and IPVanish. You can be absolutely sure that your information is under perfect protection. Since there is no middleman, the provider has complete control and can guarantee security.

Every IPVanish VPN review points out that this provider doesn’t gather any user data. And it is true. This VPN service sticks to its zero-logs policy. So it doesn’t even record the time of your connection and the server you used. No activity is visible, no one at all can see what is going on behind the shield the VPN creates for the user. Even IPVanish itself.

Although, the provider monitors some general data about the performance of the servers to make sure it offers the best speed possible. But it doesn’t include any personal data, and the activity of the user can’t be traced.

Such a clear no-log policy devalues the fact that IPVanish is located in the United States – the Five Eyes jurisdiction. It doesn’t matter because even if the government asks the provider to provide them with the sensitive user data, the VPN service will have literally nothing to offer.

As IPVanish states in its privacy policy, if any authorities request any information about the activity of users, the provider will just tell them that it doesn’t keep any logs or user data.

No DNS and IP Leaks

When it comes to privacy and security, the IPVanish is on par with the leaders. We have tested it for IP address and DNS leaks – we checked both IPv4 and IPv6. We’ve run tests on all platforms to make sure every app works well and protects the user.

And we have to tell this VPN service passed all tests successfully. No leaks were detected, so you can be sure – with IPVanish your internet activity will be hidden from prying eyes. There is no way your actions can be tracked as you’re perfectly protected from any data leaks.

When testing this provider, we haven’t detected any leaks. We have run tests both for IPv4 and IPv6 and had zero issues. It is a perfectly secure service that protects its users from any possible data leaks. Including that you can turn on some special features for better security, IPVanish offers amazing protection.

Variety of Supported Platforms and Devices

This provider offers apps for all popular devices. It works with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Windows Phone, Linux, Chrome OS, and routers. For the first five, there are standalone apps – it is the easiest way to use the service. As for others, there are informative and clear guides on how to configure them manually. To be able to use IPVanish on your router, you should upgrade it to DD-WRT firmware.

This provider offers apps for all popular devices. We have decided to test applications for Windows, MacOS, and Android since these operating systems are the most popular.

All apps performed quite well during the testing. We have found neither any noticeable issues with the connection nor bugs. Every application has a user-friendly interface that is easy to understand even if you are new to VPN services. Surprisingly, the Android app has a nice design too. Usually, applications for Android devices lack aesthetics.

Overall, none of all four apps froze or crashed during tests. When testing it on Windows and Mac, we tried using torrent client along with browser while the VPN service was working – IPVanish has shown the perfect performance.

Reliable Encryption and Support of Modern Protocols

IPVanish has AES-256 encryption which is an Advanced Encryption Standard with the longest key length possible. It is reliable and guaranteed high-quality protection. On Windows phones, although, it is shown as AES-128 encryption. The authentication by means is done with SHA-256 and the handshake – with RSA-2048.

On top of the perfect protection, IPVanish provides users with plenty of protocols. The provider supports IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, OpenVPN (TCP/UDP), PPTP protocols and SOCKS as an advanced feature. Also, you can actually choose which port – TCP or UDP – you want to use for OpenVPN. It is a great and rather rare feature.

Good Customer Support

Some time ago, IPVanish did not provide support via live chat. Now, live chat is available 24/7 – this is a great option to get any help in minutes. The widget is located in the right bottom corner and is placed on every page.

There are several other options:

the pretty informative and extensive library where you are able to find the related topic and research the solution by yourself;

send an email to the support team and patiently wait for an answer;

call on the free American phone number +1-800-591-5241. This kind of support is available Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm in UTC -6 time zone.

We have to say that support staff has answered us pretty quickly. Via live chat, we were replied within several minutes. the staff was helpful and could provide clear explanations. As for email, you shouldn’t expect a quick reply. Although, it is quite possible that your issue will be resolved within one hour. Anyway, our opinion is that it is quite unlikely that you face any problems. The service works flawlessly, and we encountered zero issues testing it.

Quite Good Streaming Experience: Unblocks Most Services

IPVanish can work properly with the vast majority of streaming platforms. We tested American Fox TV, French Canal+, German ZDF, Australian ABC – they all worked properly.

As for other streaming options, the service works with the most popular media centers. Thus, IPVanish works with Kodi which is great. Also, it supports Amazon TV Firestick. With this device, the VPN service works perfectly. We have noticed literally zero issues during tests.

Sadly, with Popcorn time things didn’t go that well. We had some problems trying to connect IPVanish and Popcorn time. As far as we have researched, other users faced these issues as well.

Cons of IPVanish

No Netflix and BBC iPlayer Support

Netflix users will be disappointed with IPVanish. This provider doesn’t work with this streaming service consistently. So even though some reviews claim that it works with Netflix, our tests show – it doesn’t.

Maybe, at the point of time when older reviews were written Netflix didn’t block servers that belong to IPVanish. But today it seems like this streaming service has effectively blocked every single server. Whatever location we’ve tried, we would get a proxy error on Netflix.

The App Will Not Work in China

China is well known for its Great Firewall – it can reliably block almost any resource outside the country. For Chinese people, it’s not that bad as they have their own great analogs. But people who live in Western countries, lack their favorite Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube, and other platforms when they go there.

As the Great Firewall strictly blocks the VPNs, the only solution to try is to use OpenVPN client with manual configurations. Despite in most cases, it is not very difficult, you cannot use useful features like kill switch, traffic obfuscation, IP modulation, which are added to the apps. Moreover, this is also not a 100% workable option.

IPVanish: Additional Features

Let us once again remind you that you can use up to 10 different devices simultaneously with this VPN. You and your friends or family can enjoy the safe connection without any impact on the bandwidth.

One of the greatest features IPVanish has is a Kill Switch. If you check the box turning this option on, the internet connection will be interrupted once the VPN is turned off. It prevents any possibility of the data leak, automatically stopping all the traffic. This feature is great especially if you use public WiFi quite often.

Another useful tool is Auto Reconnect. Having this box checked you wouldn’t need to bother yourself with turning the VPN service on manually if it goes down for some reason. Quite a lazy feature, still, very convenient.

In the interface of IPVanish app, you can turn on IPv6 and DNS Leak Protection. It offers the user some additional protection from any possible data leaks. Also, you can set up the automatic IP address changer to switch you to another IP address every certain amount of time.

SOCKS5 web proxy for VoIP rounds up the list of extra features along with the opportunity to use torrents within the IPVanish network. But even if you never torrent and only use P2P network to download copyright free materials, some additional protection won’t hurt anyway.

Split tunneling is another great option which allows selecting which apps will use the VPN connection and which ones the direct one. It is available in all the applications for all the operating systems.

IPVanish for Torrenting and Streaming

We should remember that usually VPN services are used for torrenting and streaming. And we will agree with other IPVanish reviews – this provider is suitable for these needs. With great speed, this VPN offers you can enjoy downloading content having zero issues with the slow connection or interruptions.

Since IPVanish has shown itself well during performance tests, we even might call it one of the best VPNs for P2P. Those users who torrent a lot and want to stay protected from authorities should seriously consider this provider. Local speeds, according to tests we’ve run, are perfectly high.

Also, IPVanish didn’t show any sudden interruptions while we were testing it. It never just turned off – or we didn’t notice it thanks to the Auto Reconnect feature. Add the strong security this provider offers, and you can call IPVanish a great choice for torrent lovers and streaming.

Is IPVanish for torrenting allowed?

Yes, you can torrent with IPVanish. As we have already said, this provider is great for downloading content securely. It offers a high-speed connection and flawless protection from prying eyes.

Here we should remember about the no-logs policy. Using IPVanish users can be sure none of their actions are recorded and, moreover, stored somewhere. So you can enjoy torrenting being sure that no one will ever find out that you have something to do with any illegally downloaded content.

Where and When Was IPVanish Created?

The company was launched in 2012 and is a part of the Highwinds Network Group. Besides providing the technical infrastructure for Steam PC games, this company is also one of the pioneers of Usenet, the original technology for the data exchange. IPVanish is also part of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which advocates an open and secure Internet. In February 2017, Highwinds was purchased by Stackpath.

What do you think about when you hear about the countries of 5-eyes, 9-eyes, and 14-eyes alliances? Their legislation not just allow but enforces them to monitor, track, and share the personal information of the user with 3rd parties, particularly with the government.

The USA is one of the founders of the Five Eyes Alliance. Under the agreement, they cooperate with other English speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Some other countries joined this list and became a part of Nine Eyes and Fourteen Eyes agreements.

What does it mean for you as a VPN user? We can say for sure that if any of these countries are able to access your online data, it will be shared between other participants. So, when using the American VPN, the government somewhere in the Netherlands will be able to see what websites you visited. Not the best idea, isn’t it?

Fortunately, you do not have to worry about your privacy due to IPVanish privacy policy. As they do not log your activity (at least they claim so and we couldn’t find the facts of the opposite), they will have nothing to share even if they get a request.

How to Use IPVanish on Windows?

The best way to use IPVanish on Windows is to download and install the standalone application. You can get the file either on a dedicated page or in the client area. The process of installation is very simple – you just have to follow the install wizard commands.

Having installed the app on your computer, run it and sign in using the login and password.

If you still do not have an account, you can create it right in the app.

Their interface as quite attractive and intuitive. The main screen displays basic information about your connection. Also, you can select a country, city, and server location you are going to connect to. Quick Connect tab remembers your last settings. Next time, you will be able to set up the connection in one click.

In the Server List tab, there is an opportunity to select the specific country and city in the list or find it on the map. Having selected the location, click on a big OFF button to run the VPN tunnel.

In the Settings tab, you are able to fine-tune the app according to your needs.

Final Verdict

Do we advise using IPVanish? Yes, we do. We agree with all good IPVanish VPN reviews that call this provider one of the best. With IPVanish you get perfect protection from both government and curious eyes, unlimited bandwidth and high connection speed, additional security features and compatibility with all popular devices. And it all comes at quite a reasonable price!

Surely, the inability to unblock Netflix is a big downside. But if you need a great VPN service for other needs, IPVanish is a reliable solution. It is also easy to install and setup, even if you want to install the software on your router. Overall, IPVanish is a pretty good VPN service.

Internet privacy, freedom of speech and modern developments in the technological world – that's what Tom is interested in. Writing about the latest trends and helping young entrepreneurs in their daily struggles is what Tom is doing on a regular basis. He graduated from a prestigious business school and achieved great success in cyber security analysis, thanks to a "mathematical" mind and early success with his own analytic company.
To make informed decisions online, you need a guy like Tom to guide you in the not-so-simple world of hackers, viruses, all-seeing eyes, and tracking government agencies. Virtual Private Networks are the next big thing in online protection, but without some basic knowledge, you'll most likely to end up paying more than you should. With this man's all-in-one articles, his VPN 101s, you won't make that mistake.

User Reviews

Big Jove

Apr 18, 2019

Great

Everything works, everything was actually simple. I bought this VPN to get access to some sites that are not permitted in my country. Also I watch Netflix with this VPN and everything fine

proud nerd here and all I have to say is that the IP vanish encryption is the AES-256 encryption. This means that this VPN is highly reliable and be sure of guaranteed protection. The encryption IP vanish uses is a really advanced one.